What Hurts the Most
by musicnotes093
Summary: He was so close to proposing to her, but then her past comes back. If he couldn't prove to her how much he loves her in words, will he be able to in action? What if he takes the death that was meant for her for himself? Will it do? Ryella-ness, people!
1. Halo

_**Author's Note:**__** I really love Danny Gokey **__**AND**__** Anoop Desai in this year's American Idol! They sing SO good, and some of their songs makes me think of Ryella, too. Anyways, I thought of this story when I heard Danny's rendition of "What Hurts the Most." However, this is not a songfic, though. It's kind-a, like-a, but not really.**_

_**So this story is set after the gang have graduated from their senior years in college, five years after graduating from high school. This fanfiction will not have that many chapters; it'll go straight. Well, maybe.**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own High School Musical, but I would love to. If this was mine, I would do Ryella than Troyella in HSM 3. **_

_**I also don't own the universities that will be mentioned such as Georgetown, Stanford, and Julliard. I **__**CERTAINLY**__** don't own the White House. It will just make a 'cameo' appearance once or twice in the whole story and that's it. If I wasn't allowed to mentions these, I'm gravely sorry.**_

_**I hope you enjoy this Ryella ride, guys! Ryella rocks!**_

**Chapter 1**

**Halo**

Gabriella smiled as she looked around the room. Her eyes also seemed like it caught all the stars in the sky for it shone bright. In a small restaurant somewhere in California, all of her friends from high school are gathered. They were laughing, hugging, yelling to call someone, and crying—because of laughing so hard. Slowly, she walked towards them, a little conscious of her appearance. It was weird because she had not been keen of whether she looked fantastic or not, especially in her occupation as a lawyer. Gradually, she could feel her heartbeat racing. What would her friends say about her? Some of them were laughing at Chad because of his goatee and 'growing' beard. What if something changed in her, too, that would make them laugh at her? _Oh, what the hey,_ she thought, _I don't care. I miss them a lot._ She proceeded to walk besides Taylor who was telling a story about someone's lawn.

"And I thought our lawn was—" Taylor's narration was cut when she saw that Chad, Jason, and Martha were staring at someone behind her back. "What?" she asked with creased eyebrows and turned around. As she saw Gabriella, she stood up and contained herself from screaming.

"Taylor," Gabriella whispered and hugged her best friend tenderly. Droplets of tears fell from her eyes, and Taylor's reaction was the same. It had been years since they last saw each other. Both of them were pre-occupied with their jobs. The wanted to see each other at least once in a while, but their schedules wouldn't let them. "I missed you so much."

Taylor, having trained to keep her poise all the time because of her job at the White House, tried not to break out in loud sobs. "Me too, girl. Me too," she reciprocated Gabriella's statement after each sniff. "I'm just glad Zeke and Sharpay arranged this whole thing. I had to convince my bosses to let me out for a week."

"Me too," Gabriella answered, grinned, and then giggled. She wiped her tears with her hands and turned towards the other three. "Hey guys. How's it going?"

"Good," Jason answered with a smile. Gabriella missed his smile. He used to melt hearts with those.

"Fine," Martha answered.

Chad stood up from his chair and walked over to Taylor. He placed his arm on Taylor's shoulder, looked at Taylor then, grinned at Gabriella. "Married," he replied.

Gabriella's jaw dropped. "Really?" she asked. "Don't tell me you're married to—"

"Taylor. Yes."

"Ugh! That is so unfair!" she whined. "I thought you told me I was going to be the bride's maid," Gabriella turned to Taylor with a mix of glad-but-hurt expression in her face.

"I'm sorry, Gabriella. We were kind of in a hurry," Taylor answered apologetically. Gabriella frowned. Taylor added, "My schedule is so busy that if we didn't get married that day, we probably wouldn't be married _until_ this day."

Gabriella just nodded. She looked at the two people in front of her with much adoration. She was just happy that she was a witness of their love for each other when they were in high school. "Well, forget it," Gabriella said, tears falling from her eyes again because of too much happiness, "I'm just happy that all of us will be together this week." With that, she gave both of them hugs, which they gladly reciprocated.

"Gabriella," Chad spoke, "where's Troy? I haven't heard from him, and I'm so…pumped to see him!"

Gabriella handed him a sad smile as a response. "We broke up for good three years ago," she replied. Chad and Taylor's grins slowly slid off their faces. "He, uh—It wasn't working. He was busy with basketball, and I, uh…" She couldn't find the right words to say. She wanted to use another phrase for it, but it didn't want to come to her. She took a deep breath. She also bowed her head before finally saying it. "I found out he was cheating on me."

Taylor shook her head and looked at Chad. "I can't believe you were friends with that boy in high school," she told her husband with disappointment. She then looked back at Gabriella. "I just knew it. He wasn't the right one for you anyways."

"Hey," Chad called to Gabriella softly, "Don't worry about him. At least you found out early. Plus, it's been years. Just forget him."

Gabriella just nodded at them. A smile crept up her eyes and lips once more, the smile that Taylor knew she always had when she's very happy. "I'm with someone else now too, so," she said cheerfully.

"I hope you brought him, girl," Taylor said.

"Oh, he's here," Gabriella assured. As if on cue, the door of the restaurant opened, and someone walked inside. Various noises came in with the person, including flashes of light. The noise came from different people outside. Paparazzi, so to name them. Taylor, Chad, and the others turned to see who came in with quizzed expressions on their faces. Gabriella also turned and smiled.

Ryan came in with a smile on his lips. He made his way beside Gabriella and smiled at Chad and Taylor. "Hey, guys! How is it going?"

"Great," Chad answered with a grin.

Taylor was unable to give her reply, as she was still awestruck of how Ryan had changed. She noticed how his style of clothing changed, from full-pledged drama king to laid-back actor. However, the friendly smile in his face also reminded her of Ryan's humble and loving personality. Her slightly open mouth closed, and she just smiled.

"I missed you guys _very_ much," Ryan continued again. He took hold of Gabriella's hand, which made the young couple opposite them stare at their intertwined hands. "I was so excited when Shar told me that you guys would be here."

"As we were also," Chad said, his eyes still tied at Gabriella and Ryan's joint hands.

"It must be hard to be a Hollywood actor, huh?" Taylor asked, snapping herself out of 'stare-spell'.

"Oh, no," Ryan replied, modesty still intact with his tone. "Ms. Darbus prepared me well for it. I give her all the credit. But the paparazzi people are the rough part of the package, though. I wasn't prepared for it, since Sharpay had the whole spotlight for herself before." He frowned and looked at Gabriella. The other just laughed. Taylor nodded and chuckled. She knew what was happening between the two, seeing their connection to each other. However, she decided to remain quiet.

"Ry, did you know that Taylor and Chad are married?" Gabriella asked, looking up to Ryan.

Ryan raised his eyebrows, cheerfully surprised. "Really? Congratulations!" he greeted them. "So how's married life?"

"Ah…you know. Married," Chad responded. Taylor threw a semi-glare to him, as if saying _what do you mean by that?_ "Uh…uh…it's really good," Chad nervously added. Taylor softened. _Nice recovery, Danforth,_ he told himself. "I mean, it's really great. I get to spend my time with Taylor everyday."

"I heard that you're a professor in Georgetown University now, is that right?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah. I teach in the Chemistry department," Chad replied.

"Whoa," Gabriella expressed happily.

"I always knew that you have the skills and brain for chemistry, Chad. After you mixed the wrong chemicals and almost gassed our class to death in junior years, I knew you have it," Ryan said, shaking his head with a wide grin.

"Oh. I remember that," Taylor agreed with a laugh.

"But no kidding. I'm glad to hear that," Ryan added.

"But hey, Evans, I've been telling my colleagues that Taylor and I knew you from high school but, they won't believe me. I could have shown them pictures but Taylor and I moved frequently."

Taylor shook her head, rolling her eyes up. "By colleagues, he meant his boss," Taylor started. "His boss' daughters like you. Chad thought that if he could get to show that he knows you, he might get a promotion."

Chad frowned. "Taylor!" he said, embarrassed. Ryan and Gabriella looked at each other, giggling. Ryan let go of Gabriella's hand and pulled Chad by the arm to go outside. "Hey," Chad called to Ryan, "what're you doing?"

Ryan turned to him with a sly look on his face. "We'll get you that promotion." He continuously pulled Chad gently towards the door.

"What?"

"You'll understand." Ryan looked outside, making sure that there were cameras present. He positioned his hand to open the door then looked back at Chad. "Get ready to be mugged by people with cameras." Both of them walked outside and sure enough, flashes of light beamed at them. Ryan smiled at them, while Chad had a confused look. "Hey, guys! This is my best friend from high school, Chad Danforth. I would like all of you to meet him." More flashes tinted the warm Californian air. Ryan looked back at Chad and saw that the other was looking at the cameras with creased eyebrows. He whispered to him with a chuckle, "Chad, I think you should smile."

Inside, Taylor and Gabriella watched the boys. Taylor shook her head. "What are those two doing?" Taylor asked. Gabriella remained smiling. "Ryan Evans. How and when?" she asked next, targeting the question to her best friend.

Gabriella understood. She answered. "We've been together for a year. He transferred to Stanford after three years in Julliard. He told me that the pressure was killing him, and the temperature, too. The break-up happened six months before he arrived, and I was a mess. He helped me get through it and after a year, I guess he had the courage to ask me out. I liked him so I said yes."

"How did he get in Stanford?"

"He had a fantastic record in Julliard and, I guess he was good enough to the Stanford committee. I mean, he had good grades when he came there."

Lights were still flashing outside and now, both guys were finally making their way inside. "Do you love him?" Taylor asked, her eyes not torn apart from them.

"Of course! What kind of a question is that?"

"I'm about to say that you better," Taylor answered, looking at Ryan with a warm smile. "I think that guy loved you like you were a goddess, starting from that summer vacation before senior year." She turned back to Gabriella. "He's friendly and humble. I've seen and can see that he cares for you more than he cares for himself. He's a good husband material for you, if you ask me."

Gabriella chuckled, but shushed Taylor. "Taylor!" she said, almost in a whisper. "He might hear you."

"So what? Girl, don't tell me a year isn't enough."

"No, it's not that. It's just that…"Gabriella trailed off for she was making sure that no one could hear them.

"It's just that, what?"

"It's just that," Gabriella continued after seeing that no one's within earshot, "I'm hoping that he would also propose to me sooner. I like him a lot and maybe if he hears about marriage, he might back off a little."

"Hmm. I don't think that that boy would back off out of your life anymore. He already have you with him, and I don't think he would let go."

"What are you two talking about?" Chad asked cheerfully, his voice fresh from laughing with Ryan. Gabriella almost jumped out of her skin while Taylor just gave a sharp look to her husband.

Taylor noticed the droplets of tears in Chad's eyes, and she had to raise an eyebrow. "None too important for you. Why are you crying, Chad?"

"Ryan and I were just talking about how I looked at the cameras. That won't be the most professional picture I'll have." Ryan and Chad cracked again and started laughing hysterically.

Taylor shook her head and started dragging her husband towards the table where all the East High alumni now sat. "We better get you something to eat, Chad," Taylor said, Chad's superfluous cheeriness rubbing on her tone.

Ryan and Gabriella watched as the couple leave and sat at the table. Ryan looked at Gabriella and asked, "Shall we?" He had his right hand's palm open, on waist level, waiting for Gabriella's hand to grasp it.

"We shall," she answered. She took Ryan's hand and walked with him towards the table.

_**I hope that I did good enough in this chapter. I'm sorry if there were grammatical errors in here that I didn't notice, ergo didn't change. I'm sorry. I'm just a beginner, you see. Anyways, there were only six people mentioned here. However, more characters would appear next chapter. Including someone that was mentioned by one of the characters but wasn't in the restaurant with them (if that made sense). I meant to have a longer chapter, but I have another fanfic to update for this week.**_

_**I'll try to update this fanfic weekly! **_

_**One more note, all of the things that happened in HSM 3 happened in their senior year in this fanfic **__**EXCEPT**__** for Ryelsi. It NEVER happened. I do respect the people that like that couple, but I just don't like them together. It feels like the couple was forced. **_

_**I'll be waiting for those precious reviews! **_

" _Ryella's the name, and cuteness is the game!__**"**_


	2. I Told You So

_**Author's Note:**__** Hey! Sorry if I updated late. Thanks for those people who left those very, very heartwarming comments in my 'reviews' box. Last chapter, I forgot to mention that since this story's title is a song title, all of the chapter titles would also be the same. "Halo" is by Beyonce, and that song will never, ever belong to me. **_

_**But this doesn't mean that it would be song fics. Just think of it as a chapter 'theme song'.**_

_**liveinlove872- Hey! I really appreciate that you like Ryella stories. I love them, too. I also wait for new ones. Actually, I have tons of Ryella ideas in my head, so I will assure you that I wouldn't quit writing Ryella stories anytime soon.**_

_**trisha.218- Thanks for reading my stories and leaving a review. I'll be waiting for your update on your story. **_

_**Lennie1984- Thanks.**_

_**- I wanted to send you a PM, but I couldn't. I hope you leave a signed review for this chapter, so I could send you a message. You're comment made me smile. It was so great. **_

_**There you have it, folks. All I have is a bunch of thank you's right now. And love for Ryella. I hope that's quite fine with you guys. Anyweyz, enjoy!**_

_**Disclaimer:**__** High School Musical doesn't belong to me. It belongs to Disney. American Idol and the song "I Told You So" by Carrie Underwood doesn't belong to me either. It belongs to their respectful owners. All I own here is the story.**_

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**Chapter 2**

**I Told You So**

Ryan walked in the silent corridor, heading towards Gabriella and Taylor's room. The majestic morning sun had finally decided to ascend to the skies, and he thought that it would be a good morning start to see Gabriella. He knocked on the door. "Come in! The door's open," she said.

Ryan opened the door and came in. He knew that he could talk privately to her in that room. He just saw Taylor taking an early morning walk with Chad not long ago, so Gabriella's definitely alone. Gabriella sat on one of the bed with a laptop resting on her lap, looking at it analytically, which made Ryan giggle. There was also a song playing. "Always On My Mind", if he remembered it right.

Gabriella turned her head towards him and smiled. Ryan reciprocated her reaction and grinned. "Morning, sunshine," Ryan greeted as he sat beside her. He looked at the screen to see what she was watching and when he saw it, he raised his eyebrows. "American Idol?" he asked. The tone of his voice didn't sound mocking at all; he was just making sure that his guess was right.

Gabriella nodded, her eyes turning back to the screen. "Season 8," she responded.

"Who's singing?"

"Anoop Desai," she responded. She shook her head slightly. "I really don't get why he got eliminated that week. I mean, he's a great singer. He could have _at least _stayed 'til top four." Ryan nodded. Gabriella sighed. "He was also my favorite," she said sadly.

Ryan feigned a shocked expression. "What?! I thought I was your favorite singer."

"Oh! You are!" Gabriella answered nervously. "It's just that he's--" When Ryan grinned, she knew what he was doing. She bit her lips, smiled, and shook her head. "Don't do that again, Ryan. You're making me nervous."

Ryan giggled. "Have you had breakfast yet?" he asked.

"No," she responded. After that, both of them became quiet and watched the video.

Ryan turned his head towards Gabriella. For him, she's the prettiest girl on the whole wide world. He couldn't believe that after all of those years waiting for her, at the end, he would be with her. As Gabriella smiled because of the video, Ryan felt his heart break out from his chest. "Gosh, I love you, Gabriella," he said softly and heartfelt. He meant to say it in his mind, but his lips didn't agree with him. They just have to say it aloud.

Gabriella turned to him, then fell into his blue eyes. Her heart couldn't help but beat faster. She was also madly in-love with him. Except for her dad, no other man had loved her like this. Ryan was always there for her. He cheers her up when she's down, he makes her see things in a very good way and most of all, he makes her love life more. Gabriella closed her eyes and leaned towards Ryan.

Ryan was tempted to do the same, but a promise sent him slowly backing away from Gabriella. "Um, Gabriella?"

Gabriella opened her eyes to see, in her disappointment, that Ryan had a bewildered grin in his face. Of course. The promise. "I give up, Ryan," she said in a mildly irritated tone. "What's with this kissing issue? Am I ugly? Don't you like me?" Of course she knew that he would answer _no_, like always, but sometimes she thinks that those might be the reasons. He had told her before that he promised himself that his first kiss would be with his wife. However, she couldn't think of any reasons why.

"No," Ryan answered, scared of the idea that he might have offended her. "But you have to understand, Gabriella." Ryan scratched his head, then continued, "I just don't think it's right for unmarried couple to kiss."

"Fine, Mr. Conservative," she shot at him. She closed her laptop and stood up. "You're frustrating me! I don't know what to make of you sometimes. You'll get really romantic and when I fall to it, you back out and look at me as if I'm a lunatic! It hurts, you know."

"Do you_ really_ love me that much?" he asked, a little surprised of this revelation. Gabriella hadn't gone off on him before. Especially not about her feelings.

"Yes!" Gabriella answered, her anger diminishing down to irritation.

"And you think I'm romantic?"

"Yes!"

"Do you think I'm hot?"

"YES!!!" Gabriella yelled, intense emotions stitched to the one-worded response. Ryan rolled on the bed, laughing his heart out. He meant it to be a trick question, and Gabriella fell for it. Gabriella was the more irritated with Ryan but somehow, the thought of how she answered the question drew a smile to her face. That smile grew into a grin, then to a frown. "Don't laugh, Ryan," she told him.

"Oh my…" Ryan wiped away the droplets of tears from his eyes. His cheeks were also coloring pink. "I never thought it would be this fun to mess with a lawyer." Gabriella crossed her arms. "C'mon, Gabby. You know I'm just trying to brighten you up."

"Oh yeah? Well, it's not working."

"Really? Because I think I'm seeing a smile in your face," Ryan said, smiling at her.

"What? What smile?"

"See? There it is. It's coming up."

Unknown to her, she have started smiling. "I know what you're doing," she hissed at him. Once she realized that she did what he told her, she held up her hands. "I really don't know how you do it. I surrender," she said.

Ryan stood up from the bed. "I do it by being hot. Don't you remember?" he asked. He held her hands, then added, with a messenger's voice, "Go we must , mi lady. The royal classmates awaits for us at the beach. So does the royal doofus."

Gabriella raised an eyebrow. "Royal doofus?"

Ryan's grin spread wider. "Sharpay," he answered. Gabriella chuckled.

Truly, she's with the right man for her at that moment.

________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"Zeke Baylor, put me down at this instant!" Sharpay commanded Zeke with a big grin on her face. Zeke have just lifted her up and started spinning around slightly.

"What do you say we go hit the waves?" Zeke asked. He carried Sharpay in his arms and walked towards the cool water of the beach.

"Zeke!" Sharpay screamed while struggling to get out of Zeke's arms. She was still grinning, but she was also getting scared as they were drawing near to the water. _That_ _salty_, _frizz-agent water,_ she said inside her head. "Zeke, I'm serious! I left my conditioner and hair dryer inside the hotel, and I cannot get my hair wet without them."

Zeke halted. "I'll get them later," he said. He ran full speed to the ocean and fell down on the part where the water was hip-deep.

A few moments later, both of them emerged. Zeke was laughing, while Sharpay looked angry. "Zeke!! What did I just tell you?!" Sharpay yelled angrily. He continued laughing. "My hair is ruined! And so is my day!!"

Gabriella sat not far from the waters. She chuckled as she saw the commotion happening between Sharpay and Zeke. Right now, Zeke's stepping a few steps backwards while Sharpay was glaring and yelling at him. "I told you she's a _royal_ doofus," she heard Ryan say behind her. Afterwards, he sat with her.

She turned to him, then frowned. "Hey! No fair! Where's my shake?" she asked Ryan upon seeing only one glass of shake in his hand.

He shrugged, his eyes still on the 'fight' between his sister and Zeke. "It's still on the shack. You have to buy it, though."

Gabriella narrowed her eyes on him. "You're a cheapskate," she stated.

Ryan smiled and gave the glass to her. "I'm just kidding. That's for you." Their eyes locked, and Gabriella felt as if she was falling in Ryan's bright blue eyes once more. Her heart was beating loudly again.

However, her thoughts were disrupted when Sharpay and Zeke brought their argument in front of where she and Ryan were. "Look at my hair! It's such a mess. Ugh! Zeke! This is your fault!" Sharpay angrily said. Ryan shook his head and rolled his eyes; Gabriella bit her lips.

"But I just wanted to play with you at the waters!" Zeke defended himself, still cheerful despite the yelling. "C'mon Sharpay. You know you always look beautiful."

"You're paying my hairstylist if my hair gets a strand of frizz," Sharpay shot, calmer than earlier. "_Comprend__é__?"_ Zeke just nodded in reply, his grin still glued on his face. Sharpay smiled. "No. I can't do that to you. You're too cute to receive that," she added. She gave Zeke a peck on the cheek.

"You know what?" Ryan spoke, and it made the other three turn to him. "Zeke, man, I really don't know why you want to marry my sister. I mean, she's moody, picky…moody--"

"You already said that," Gabriella pointed out.

"The point is, you two haven't been married, and she's already acting like a wife," Ryan finished, then raised his eyebrows.

"Whatever," Sharpay said.

"That's fine. I think it's cute," Zeke said after looking at Sharpay.

"_Aw,"_ Sharpay cooed, almost swooning. She hugged Zeke tightly then attempted to give him another peck.

"Oh, that's just disgusting. Don't do it in front of us!" Ryan called out to his sister.

"You're just jealous," Sharpay responded.

"Uh-huh. I guess so," a familiar voice agreed. Behind Sharpay and Zeke stood Troy, beaming at all of them. Gabriella took a deep breath and had to look away. Sharpay raised up her eyebrows, and Ryan's facial expression slightly mimicked his sister's. "Hey, Zeke. What's up?" Troy asked then held out a hand. For a moment, Zeke just stared at it. What was this for again? _Oh right. Handshake._ Both of them did so and after that, everyone else was quiet. "So, uh, how's everybody?"

"Perfectly fine," Sharpay replied. "How 'bout you?"

"None too bad." Troy smiled at her, and she tried hard not to roll her eyes. She knew what he did to Gabriella. He became a big shot basketball player, then cheated on Gabriella with one of the cheerleaders. Instead of asking for forgiveness from Gabriella when he got caught, he argued more with her. _Jerk_, Sharpay said in her mind. Troy turned next to Ryan and Gabriella and quickly spotted their intertwined hands. The smile in his face decreased. "Hey, Ryan," he greeted him. "I've seen you in a lot of magazines, and shows, and movies. I guess life's been going _fabulous_ for you?" Troy chuckled as the pun in his question rang once more in his head.

"All that's nothing without Gabs here," Ryan answered with a sincere smile.

"I've also seen pictures of you two. Together now, huh?" Ryan nodded to Troy's question.

As the two finished their short question-and-answer conversation, as if on cue, Taylor came. A big grin was plastered on her face, but as soon as she saw Troy, it fell down. "I didn't know Jerk du Soleil was in town," she commented.

"Taylor," Gabriella said in a hushed voice. Troy just nodded, pain enmeshed with his facial expression.

"Anyways, we're all getting ready for lunch. You guys coming?" Taylor asked.

"Yeah," Sharpay and Zeke said in unison. Taylor started walking towards the direction where she came from, but then halted. She turned back and looked at Gabriella, to Troy, then back to her, as if saying '_Watch it, girl. He's up to something.'_ Taylor continued on, followed by Zeke and Sharpay.

"C'mon, Gabs," Ryan softly called to Gabriella.

As Troy saw that both were leaving, he couldn't help but say what he really wanted to do. The reason why he was there. "Gabriella, would you mind if I talk to you?" he asked, then glanced at Ryan. "Privately?" Gabriella tensed.

She didn't want to be a part of whatever issue Troy had at that moment. She wanted to tell him that he should forget it but when she looked into his eyes, she saw sincerity and urgency.

"You don't have to if you don't want to, Gabriella," Ryan whispered in her ear.

She sighed. _Maybe I need to end this once and for all_, she told herself. "I'll just follow you guys," she told Ryan. He hesitated to leave her. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine," she reassured him. Ryan walked away with heavy feet and a hesitant soul.

"What do you want?" Gabriella asked.

"Aren't you going to ask me how I am?"

"Sharpay already did. Now, what is it?"

Troy took a deep breath. "I want to get back with you," he shyly admitted.

"Don't you already have a girlfriend?"

"I know but--I want you." Gabriella scoffed to his senseless excuse. Troy disregarded it and went on. "I miss you a lot, and I'm always alone now. I miss those times when you always call me."

"You told me that it bothered you a lot."

"But now I need that. Heather doesn't do that. I love you, Gabby," Troy hopefully said.

Gabriella smirked. The last time she heard that name, _Heather_, was in an argument between her and Troy. She was the cheerleader who he cheated with, and Troy sure did defend her. He made Gabriella feel bad, unwanted, by darting hurtful comparisons between her and Heather. "Get lost, Troy," Gabriella told him. "If in case you didn't remember, Ryan and I, we're already together now. We're happy, so leave us alone."

Gabriella had started walking towards the direction where the others had gone when Troy spoke again. "Are you sure he loves you?" Troy slyly hurled a question at her. Gabriella stopped then turned to him with a calm, but obviously angry, expression. A smile came up on Troy's face, and it was tinted with mischief. "Have he told you that he _really_ loves you?"

Gabriella gritted her teeth. "He does that every time we're together. Unlike you Troy, he knows what love means."

"Has he kissed you?"

"Back off, will you?"

_Bingo,_ Troy thought. "Have you ever thought that maybe the only reason why he's dating you is for popularity?"

"I'm going to file a restraining order against you," Gabriella snapped at him, then turned to walk. However, unknown to her, Troy already planted a seed of doubt in her heart.

Troy ran in front of her. "Restrain all you want, but I might be telling you the truth. Come on. Have you ever heard of an actor dating a lawyer? No. The thing between you two, it fascinates a lot of people, and it makes him more famous. I tell you, once the fame goes away, so does he." Gabriella thought about it. What if it's true? Ryan had refused to kiss her a couple of times. What if the reason why was that he really didn't like her? That she was just a part of a plan? "And he's a great actor. How can you be sure that he's not just acting when he's around you?"

It took Gabriella a few moments to answer. "Stop it," she commanded Troy. She asked him to, not because she was getting annoyed, but because her faith in Ryan was starting to quiver. She brushed past Troy, walking towards where the others went.

"But I love you, Gabriella!" he yelled. "And I'm a bad actor! You know that! I could never act as somebody else around you!"

All Gabriella did throughout the day was think. What if Troy's telling the truth? She tried to prove him wrong and asked Ryan for a kiss, but he just smiled and said no. "Why not?" she asked. "I just love you so much that I don't want to kiss you," Ryan joked. However, it came different to Gabriella. _Maybe Troy's right,_ she said in her mind. _Ryan doesn't love me._ But she just shook her head afterwards. _That's silly. Troy's just saying that because he got dumped. _She chuckled while eating dinner, and it made the group sitting around the table wonder why.

But it was there already. Doubt. What came with it was inevitable: suspicion. At eleven o'clock that night, she received a text message from an unknown number. _Sorry. Got ur number from Jason. Care 2 meet me at Scarlett's Tavern? 8's along Ridge Ln. Troy XP _Gabriella stared at the message. She erased it, but something pushed her to stand up from her bed and get dressed.

She didn't know if it was a good decision, to meet with Troy at this time of night. She liked the idea that she was just going there to shut the issue Troy opened but the truth was, she might just be craving for more reasons. More reasons to prove that Ryan's a fraud, a user. And worst of all, more reasons to get back with Troy.

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_**I'm really sorry, y'all. That was really long. I'm really sorry. I did this because I only planned a couple of chapter for this fanfic. I want it to go straight to business, but some major key points needed to be introduced. Others needed to be developed. Again, my sincere apologies. Anyways, there you have it. I don't know if I made some parts confusing. I don't know, because sometimes I have the tendency to do that . Tell me in your review if you found one, and I'll be more than glad to clarify it! **_

_**Please leave a review! They make the author happy! =D**_

_**Next chapter spoiler: there will be an engagement ring, a broken heart, and a whole lot of Ryella. Now in what emotion, I won't tell. *If you guys don't want any spoilers, feel free to tell me. I'll count the results before I post the next chapter.***_

" _Ryella's the name, and cuteness is the game!__**"**_


	3. What Hurts The Most

_**Author's Note:**__** Hey guys! I'm SO very sorry I updated late. I've been busy with a lot of things. You know how they are right before summer starts. Hectic, hectic, HECTIC! Well, anyways, here's the third chapter of this fanfic, and boy there's a lot of drama in it! It might be a little hurried because I just want to get on with the next chapter. That chapter will be the most important chapter of all. **_

_**And don't worry about it. That wasn't the only spoiler for the next chapter.**_

_**Disclaimer: **__***sighs* Nope, folks. High School Musical still does not belong to me. "What Hurts the Most" by Danny Gokey doesn't belong to me. "I Just Wanna Be With You" doesn't either. These great works belong to their rightful owner. **_

_**_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

**Chapter 3**

**What Hurts the Most**

_Tears streamed down Ryan's face. He stood before his room's window, watching as the city bathed with glimmering lights and glee. His hands trembled as another drop of tear rolled down his warm cheeks. After a while, fireworks lighted up the sky. One by one, they whistled, clapped, and was gone away with the ever dark clouds of the sky. The door slowly creaked open, and two people walked inside the room. Ryan knew who they were, but he didn't turn around. _

_"Ryan," Sharpay gently called to him. Ryan could feel that she was sorry for him, that she was also hurt, and it made him weaker. "I--I'm--" _What? What exactly am I? _Sharpay asked herself._

_"Those fireworks," Ryan spoke, helping his sister out. "Aren't they beautiful? I knew those glittery ones were Gabby's favorites. She told me once that she loved them since she was a little girl." _

_"Ryan, look." Taylor's voice was firm and yet, it was caring. "I don't know what happened, but what I do know is that it's not your fault. You gave all of yourself to her, but she's too blind to see that."_

_"Funny. I thought that's what I did," Ryan responded, chuckling a little bit. "I thought I was enough. I tried to make her happier. I thought that maybe, that's what she wants. What both of us want. But I guess I've been assuming all along. I've been making a fool out of myself."_

_Taylor walked to his side. "You haven't. All you did was love her, and it was her mistake to let you fall like that. Come here." Taylor hugged him tight, hoping that some of his hurt would pass to her. Ryan had been good to everyone. He's a simple guy. He wasn't the smartest, but he loves people with all of his heart. Seeing him hurt like this made her feel guilty. She wished she could do something to stitch his heart together again, but all she could do was this._

_However, in Ryan's mind, there was only one thing. "Tell her I'm sorry," he whispered to Taylor. "Please." _

_Taylor let go of him and stared at him incredulously. _

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Earlier that day, the hotel's events room was busy. The staff prepared everything that Ryan asked for them to prepare. Balloons, flowers, and other things flooded inside the place. Of course, all of them were Gabriella's favorites. Ryan grinned as he saw that everything was going according to his plans.

"Hey, chief," someone greeted behind him. He turned around and saw Zeke, Sharpay, Chad, and Taylor. Zeke spoke once again. "Why so busy?"

"Yeah. What's happening? Are we celebrating something that I forgot?" Sharpay asked nervously. "Oh! Are mom and daddy coming tonight? Is it their anniversary?"

"Wait. How did you guys get in here?" Ryan asked, confused.

"We lied to the guard outside and told him that you asked us to come here," Chad replied.

"Huh. I guess I need to ask him again to let no one in," Ryan mumbled.

"So are you going to tell us what's happening?" Taylor asked, smiling.

Ryan shrugged. "I might as well. The surprise is half-ruined," he said. He took out a small velvet box from his pocket. "I'm going to ask Gabriella to marry me tonight," he said happily. Taylor gasped. Chad nodded with a grin in his lips. Zeke mouthed a 'whoa'.

"OH MY GOSH!" Sharpay screamed. Tears started to linger in her eyes, while she started to flap her hands towards her. "Ryan. Mom would be so happy." She gave him a quick hug, then started crying. "It seems like it was just yesterday when you were in diapers and now, now you're getting married."

"Thanks for giving me a preview of mom at my wedding, Sharpay," Ryan smiled at her. "Well, that's only if Gabby says yes."

"Are you insane?" Chad asked. "Of course she would say yes!"

"I hope." Deep inside, Ryan's nerves were very feeble. He was scared she would say no, but Chad's statement made him confident. _I really hope so,_ he said in his mind. "Anyways, here's the ring." He opened the velvet box, and it unveiled a small diamond ring. It was beautiful. When it sparkles, it shines like a star. The diamond also looked like a little drop of a frozen tear. A frozen tear of happiness. It made everyone looking at it smile.

"It's pretty," Taylor whispered.

"It should be. I paid a lot for this little ring," Ryan chuckled. He turned it a little toward him so he could see it. "But I don't care. It reminds me of Gabriella, and I'm hoping it would make her smile. I just love it when she smiles." Slowly, he closed the box and placed it inside his pocket. "Nine o'clock tonight, guys. That's when the gathering starts. Oh! And it's formal."

"What?! Why didn't you tell us before hand? I don't have anything to wear!" Taylor exclaimed.

"I'm sorry. It's just that I wasn't sure if I was ready yet. Even before all of us came here in Cali," he apologized. "I'm really sorry."

"Don't worry, Taylor. We can just go shopping!" Sharpay cheerfully said.

"I don't have that much money."

"I'll pay for it."

"Have I told you how much I love your sister?" Taylor asked Ryan. He shrugged, having a grin on his face.

"Doesn't everybody?" Zeke rolled his eyes and shook his head at Sharpay's statement, but a smile was still present on his face. "Come on, Taylor. The earlier we are, the better things we get."

Ryan watched Taylor and Sharpay scuttle out of the place, giddy with excitement. He almost laughed when he thought of how ironic it was that some years ago, they hated each other. He thought mortal enemies like that would never get along. Then shopping comes into picture, and it was as if nothing happened. "If Gabby saw that, she would be laughing," Ryan stated.

"Saw what?" Zeke asked.

"Sharpay and Taylor. I thought they would be hating each other forever," he replied. "Gabriella would be happy if they became really good friends." Ryan turned around when a waiter approached him, asking which kind of champagne he prefers for the night's occasion.

"Uh, yeah," Chad agreed. He glanced at Zeke anxiously. Zeke understood what Chad wanted to do. "Ryan?"

"Hmm?"

"We need to talk to you about something."

"Okay. Shoot," he said, but he did not turn around to face them.

Chad walked a little closer to Ryan. "I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but do you know about Troy and Gabriella? That--That they're meeting together when you're not with her?"

Ryan's breathing silently became heavy. There it was again. Yesterday, Kelsi and Jason told him the same thing, that they've been seeing Troy and Gabriella together. The other night, Martha told him that she saw Gabriella with Troy inside Scarlett's Tavern. At late hours of the night. "Yeah," Ryan lied, "yeah. She, uh, she told me that Troy comes to her for financial advices. Tax and stuff. It's, uh," he turned around to face them. "It's just a little thing."

"Ryan, do you know the place called Scarlett's Tavern?" Zeke asked.

"Honestly, no."

"It's a bar. Very dimly lit bar," he continued explaining. He didn't want to cross any invisible line, but he thought that Ryan deserved to know. His future brother-in-law deserves to know. "That's where a lot of us have been seeing both of them."

"Oh?" Ryan asked, faking a smile. He turned around again, denying to tell them the truth. The reality that he didn't know that this thing have been happening behind his back.

"Don't worry, though!" Chad said, trying to ease the tension. "You _might_ be right. She's just helping him with law stuff." Ryan just nodded. _Might be right._ _They know I'm lying_. "I think we need to prepare something to wear for tonight, Zeke," Chad turned to the other.

"Oh, right. Sharpay really doesn't like it when my tie doesn't match with her shoes," Zeke agreed. "Later, Ry."

"At nine, guys. Don't forget," Ryan told them plainly. After he heard the door shut, Ryan walked towards a chair at the corner of the room. He sat and wondered whether he should take all of this to heart. Had she been cheating on him? Maybe she just wanted to break all of the chords that was left between her and Troy. But why in a bar? Why didn't she tell him anything? Was he not important to her? What about what he feels about these reports coming to him? Have she been thinking about it? Does she think about what the others say and how he's always hurt when he hears these?

The next thing that Ryan knew, tears were covering his sight, and he was dialing Gabriella's phone number. _Are you cheating on me?_ Ryan wanted to ask her but knew that he could not. It's not because of what she might think, but because he was afraid of the answer.

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Gabriella grinned while she sat on her bed. She was waiting for Ryan to come. He told her that he has a surprise for her, so she quickly threw on the best outfit she could come up with: shorts and a loose, white T-shirt. The excitement and suspense slowly got into her. It had been a while since they last went on a date. Alone.

She hoped that he would take her to Scarlett's Tavern again. She really loved it how his blue eyes seem to sparkle under dim lights. His smile makes her love him all over again. When she's with him, everything else did not matter. _Troy's_ just everything.

Gabriella caught herself and felt bad. How could she be thinking of Troy and Ryan at the same time? Ryan should be the one in her heart. Him alone, not with Troy. Ryan is her _is_, while Troy should remain her _was._ But somehow, things seem like it should be the other way around. For the past four days that she spent with Troy, she have been happier. It was like the old times, when things aren't complicated. It was like everything's a start of something new, everything's all love, and everything's all smile.

A part of her heart spoke to her about Ryan. It reminded her that when she's with Ryan, the world changes. All things favored her. Because of Ryan, she comes to love all things. _Yeah. I guess he does that,_ she thought, convincing herself to be really happy with this realization. Deep in her heart, though, she was still not sure. It became a somehow detrimental question: Ryan or Troy?

A knock on the door shocked her out of her reverie. "Gabby?" Ryan called.

She stood up, double-checked if it was Ryan calling outside, then opened the door. "Hey, cutie," she greeted him, the thoughts she was having earlier gone. "How are--" Ryan quickly placed a blindfold on her eyes. "Wait! What is this?" she asked.

"You'll see," Ryan told her. He guided her towards the elevator, a big grin on his face and a racing heart in him.

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Gabriella was excited. She didn't know where the two of them were heading, but she sure couldn't wait to see it. She held her breath in her. _Maybe it's a really romantic place,_ she guessed. _I do hope it's not a formal type of restaurant. _Ryan held her shoulders so as to direct her to the right direction. "Ryan, where are we?"

Ryan stopped. "We're here," he told her. She felt Ryan walk past her, then she heard him open a door. Next, she felt Ryan untying her blindfold and guiding her inside a room. As the blindfold fell off, she saw all of their friends, Ryan's manager, and some of his closest friends from his job. She felt embarrassed when she noticed that all of them wore gowns and dresses, while she only wore shorts and a t-shirt.

She was still thrilled, though. The room was full of yellow roses and white amaryllis, her favorite flowers. There were also pink and white balloons, which made her smile. "It's so…beautiful," she managed to say.

"I was hoping you'd like it," Ryan told her.

"Well, it would've been better if I'm not the only one wearing a beach outfit in here."

"It doesn't matter. You still look cute."

"Nice stalling, mister. You and I will talk about this later," she said, a grin widespread on her lips. She turned back to scanning the whole room. She also noticed that the gown Sharpay was wearing was extra shiny. When Taylor glanced at her and smiled, it also looked different. There was something tonight that's different and somehow, she was excited to find out.

"Do you love me a lot, Gabriella?" Ryan asked. Gabriella turned to him, expecting a grin to meet her. But there was none in Ryan's face. He was serious. It scared her because maybe, the reason why he asked the question was that, he found out about her and Troy.

She smiled, hiding her nervousness. "Of course. What kind of a question is that?"

"If I loved you forever, will you love me forever, too?" Ryan didn't know why that question came out of his mouth. However, he thought that maybe he just wanted to know. He didn't want to propose to Gabriella then find out that she would never be happy with him. The biggest thing that scared him also was the possibility of Gabriella cheating on him, then he'd find it out after he proposes.

"Ryan.."

"Please. I just want to know."

Gabriella nodded. "Yes," she said. She stared at his eyes. He stared back. His blue eyes reminded her of Troy.

Ryan smiled. "Good," he said happily. Gabriella hated that she was thinking of Troy while she's with Ryan. Again. However, she didn't want to admit that maybe, she's starting to like Troy better than Ryan. "Kelsi wrote this insanely good song," Ryan spoke again. "Do you mind singing it with me for the guests?"

"Well…" Gabriella hesitated.

"Uh-oh. Everybody!" Ryan called out to everyone. All heads turned to their direction, which made Gabriella's face burn. It was just like callbacks seven years ago. "Gabriella doesn't want to sing."

Gabriella heard some _boos_ come from the crowd. "Are you insane?" she hissed at him. "Why are you trying to put me on the spotlight?"

"If you sing with me, it would all stop," he replied to her matter-of-factly.

Gabriella sighed. "You'll pay. Our next date would be at a really expensive restaurant, I'll make sure of that," she stated.

Zeke handed both of them mikes and music sheets. "Bring it on," Ryan teased, narrowing his eyes.

Kelsi started playing the keyboard, smiling. She remembered how her first composition, "Breaking Free", brought two people together. She hoped that this one would also do the same thing. Only that they would be with each other forever,

Ryan lifted the mike and started singing.

_"I've got a lot of things I've got to do_

_With all these distractions, our future's coming soon_

_We're being pulled in a hundred directions_

_But whatever happens…"_

_"I know I've got you,"_ Gabriella joined Ryan in singing, but she was still upset that he brought attention to them.

_"You're on my mind, you're in my heart_

_It doesn't matter where we are_

_We'll be alright, even if we're miles apart…"_

Gabriella noticed that the lyrics on her music sheet ended, even though music still played. She turned the paper over, but there wasn't any there. She looked at Ryan anxiously as she felt embarrassment crawling up to her throat.

Ryan just smiled and stared at her in the eyes.

_"All I wanna do is to be with you_

_Be with you_

_And there's nothing I won't do_

_Just to be with you, only you_

_No matter where life take us_

_Nothing can break us apart…" _Ryan quickly took a velvet box out of his pocket, opened it, then kneeled down in front of Gabriella. _" I just wanna marry you."_

Gabriella's jaws dropped. Her heart raced and tears started to linger around her eyes. It was the moment she had been waiting for. She wasn't sure whether to cry or to laugh hysterically. Air also became scarce.

"I know the change I did to that song was so corny. I'm just crazy like that. I'm crazy in a lot of different ways, but I know I'm completely sane when it comes to you. I love you. With all my life," Ryan said, his voice quivering a little. Gabriella laughed despite the tears streaming down from her eyes. "Gabriella Montez, will you marry me?"

"Yes. Of course," she replied. Ryan stood up while smiling giddily. "You know I've loved you with all of my life, too, _Troy._"

The smile quickly fell off Ryan's face, and he began breathing heavily. The other people who were closer to them heard it, which included Zeke and Sharpay. Some didn't understand what happened, but they knew exactly what was happening. Taylor, upon noticing the scared expression on Ryan's face, walked towards Sharpay.

Ryan tried to help himself not to cry. His fear was real. She had been with him. "You've been seeing him?" he asked, trying to save the little hope that his heart carried.

Gabriella realized that she revealed her secret to everyone. Including the person who loved her with all of his life. The joyful tears turned instantaneously to woeful tears. Like Ryan, she tried not to break down in front of all the people. "Ryan, I can explain."

"You've been cheating on me?"

"I'm sorry," Gabriella cried. It didn't matter to her that she was standing in front of others. All she cared about was Ryan understanding her. "I'm--"

"Did I do something wrong to you? Is it the kiss?"

"No."

"Then why?"

_I wish I knew. _"I don't know," Gabriella answered. She stared at Ryan's eyes and saw hurt. She wanted to take back what she said, but maybe it's too late.

Ryan looked at the small velvet box, then closed it. He nodded. There was nothing to do but walk away. He was frustrated with everything. He didn't know whether to be angry or be hurt silently.

After Ryan closed the events room's door, everybody's eyes tried to avoid Gabriella. Some of the guests started to leave, carrying a tint of despise for her in their hearts. Others had no idea but still followed the others who were leaving.

Gabriella silently watched everything and cried. She saw glares being thrown at her. There were scornful glances. Chad and the others left, avoiding to make any contact with her. But Taylor and Sharpay were the only ones who had the courage to face her. Or maybe, the only ones who hates her enough to face her. Sharpay looked at her coldly, then shook her head. Taylor was indifferent, but Gabriella could feel disappointment from her. She opened her mouth to apologize to them, but they left. Basing on the direction they were going, they meant to follow Ryan.

_If only I didn't mention his name,_ Gabriella told herself, _everything would still be fine._ It pained her that she let everyone down. She disappointed Taylor and probably made Sharpay mad. Everything she had done had hurt her.

And what hurts the most was, she pushed away the man who would love to be with her forever and who loves her.

_**_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

_**That wasn't short at all, was it? I'm sorry. I have the tendency to write a novel when I just need to write a chapter. Well, was that drama or what? Yes, yes, I know. There were corny parts but hey, if you're in love, it doesn't matter. I'm also really sorry 'cause I know that this chapter have some SERIOUS grammar and spelling issue! I lack proofreading abilities after 11 PM. It was 1 AM when I finished this, so I'm sorry. **_

_**Holla to 09teacher-n-training! I know I haven't sent you a message yet, so I'll just give a shout out to you! I hope you like Ryella. **_

_**Here's the major spoiler for next chapter! Enjoy! =)**_

_**Spoiler: **__Ryan could taste the dusts in his mouth. It was really salty, especially now that it was mingled with blood. He felt that the bones in his body must've been broken to a thousand of pieces , but it didn't matter. As his vision grow dim, all he could think about was the fact that Gabriella was alive. If she died, then his life would not mean anything at all. Because she lived, then everything's perfectly fine. _

_All he wished was that someday, she would remember him. Even in just a blink of a second._


	4. Everything I Do

_**Author's Note:**__** Hey! Well, here's the fourth chapter and as I said, this will be the most important chapter of all. However, it's also the shortest. So I do hope you enjoy this!**_

_***It makes me glad that there are some who leave reviews for this story and set it on alert. Really, I appreciate it. However, it's really putting me down to see that there's only a few despite the chapters that I've posted. Please. Leave one. The reviews for this chapter will decide whether this story will stop here or not.* **_

_**Disclaimer:**__** I don't own HSM or any of its characters. They belong to Disney. "Everything I Do (I Do It For You)" belongs to its original producers and singer. It doesn't belong to me. Neither does **_**People**_** magazine.**_

_**________________________________________________________________________________________________________**_

**Chapter 4**

**Everything I Do (I Do It For You)**

Gabriella gasped as she woke up. She bolted up from her bed then started looking around frantically. There was a loud alarm going off in her head, telling her that she was missing something. She turned her head in every direction she could, but she couldn't find what she was looking for.

"Is there something wrong?" a voice asked her. She swiveled her head towards the direction of the speaker. Troy. "Did you lose something?"

Maybe not something, but someone. _Where's Ryan?_ her mind asked her on impulse. Then, the events from last night started flashing through her head. The song. The proposal. The ring. The lie.

The cheating.

"No. N-no," she answered Troy. She looked at him.

In return, Troy gave her a smile. "Nightmare?" he asked. Gabriella nodded. "Surely you weren't dreaming of me," he chuckled.

"I was just thinking about Ryan."

"No wonder," Troy scoffed. Gabriella wanted to slap him for saying what he said, but her body disagreed with her. No part of her bothered to move. Troy placed his hands in Gabriella's shoulders. "You've got to stop thinking of him. He's not _all that_ anyways. Besides, if he loved you, he wouldn't have done what he did last night. If I was him, if I _really _loved you like how he said he did, then I wouldn't just walk away. I would understand."

"It's too early, Troy," Gabriella objected under her breath. It was loud enough to be heard. "Don't make me regret waking up seeing you."

Troy removed his hands from her shoulder and shrugged. "Okay, okay," he giggled. "How's my princess today? Besides the bad dream?"

"Tired," Gabriella replied. She walked towards her closet and pulled out her luggage bag. "I need to pack up for the flight home tonight."

"Want any help?"

"Sure," Gabriella sighed as she unzipped the bag.

Troy walked towards her closet and started sorting through Gabriella's clean clothes. He noticed that most of them were untouched, like they were removed from the bag and was never moved again. "I could meet you downstairs later. Maybe we can have a quick dinner before we leave." He handed her a stack of clothing. "I wish I was as neat as you, Gabs," Troy said. Gabriella looked up at him. Their eyes met.

It made her a little sick, thinking about her admiration of a pair of blue eyes and blonde hair. And that none of these belong to Ryan Evans.

_____________________

Ryan wondered where he went wrong. He couldn't believe that him and Gabriella--they've broken up. He wanted to say sorry, but Sharpay kept nagging at him not to do it. _If she's not faithful to you now, then what would happened if you guys get married? _her voice rang through his head. Taylor was almost the same. _The best you can do now is forgive her, because you didn't do anything wrong, _she told him.

It seemed to him that everyone went into protective overdrive since last night. Because he opted not to lock himself up in his room, he had been walking around the beach alone, under the bright sun. However, the others have been at his side always, assisting him like he was an invalid. "Guys, I'm okay. I just need time alone." He always dismissed them that way, and they were kind enough to stop bugging him.

He knew he loved Gabriella; he didn't do anything to hurt her. All he did for her was to make her happy, but he couldn't help but ask himself if that was enough. Maybe it wasn't. That's why she left.

"You know, you've already dug a trail mark on the sands two hours ago." Ryan turned around to see Sharpay sadly smiling at him. "It won't be a nice cover picture for _People_ magazine."

Ryan couldn't help but smile. "Hi, Sharpay," he greeted his twin sister. "What are you doing here?"

"Following the mellow blonde road," she replied.

Ryan chuckled. "Seriously, Sharpay. I'm okay. I just need time to think."

"What? Under the free bonus of skin cancer? I don't think so." Ryan remained smiling. Sharpay grasped his right arm and started leading him towards an empty shack. Surprisingly, Ryan didn't budge. He followed his sister and sat where she gestured for him to sit. As she sat opposite her twin, Sharpay sighed. "Pour," she signaled.

"Don't you mean 'spill'?"

"Nope. It's too bottled up. Now, pour."

Ryan hesitated at first, but his heart ache overwhelmed him. "I didn't do anything wrong, did I?"

"No."

"Then why did she do that?"

"As much as I want to know the answer and give it to you, little brother, I can't. It's way too complicated, even Taylor's clueless about it. All of us are." Sharpay sighed again, then glanced at her brother. She well knew in her heart that Ryan had been listless because of thinking about the matter. She wanted to at least take a part of his load off him, but she couldn't. The event that occurred last night stunned her as well. "Who knows what Troy did?" she scoffed. "He's probably blackmailing her or something."

"You think so?"

"No, silly. Gabby's a lawyer and if ever he's doing that, he'd be in jail before he can even say _habeas corpus_." Ryan's head bowed down lower. "Look, maybe you should let things cool off for a bit. After a while, you can talk to her again."

Ryan looked up at her. "What if I've ran out of time by then?" he asked, his fear-struck eyes staring directly to his sister's eyes.

Sharpay looked up, then exhaled. "How much do you actually love her?"

A small smile emerged from Ryan's lips, a product from his broken heart. "More than my life, Shar. I'd die for her."

Sharpay's gaze fell from the ceiling to her brother. "Then if she doesn't wait for you, she's not as smart as we thought she is," she told her brother. It amazes her how he could love, but she wished that there will not come a time when Ryan have to prove true to his latter words.

_____________________

Gabriella have passed Ryan's room several times and always, she stopped. Every time, a force seemed to urge her to knock at his room. And she did. It disheartened her that he never answered. She even tried to talk to him through the door, telling him how sorry she was. She told him that she was foolish and wrong to cheat on him, and she was gravely sorry.

All she wanted was to have him back.

But no one answered the door.

She called his phone several times, leaving a message every time his voice mail answered. Every time, she cried. She thought that it might be useless, since he didn't answer his phone, but she didn't care. If it would take forever before he answers, she would endure for eternity.

For the time being, though, all she could do was prepare for the flight home. She stood at the lobby, waiting for Troy. She glanced at her watch. 6:05 PM. Thirty-five minutes late. She started looking around again, hoping that she just missed him and that he was just standing by somewhere near, also waiting for her. Out of impatience, she pulled out her phone and started dialing Troy's phone number. Then again, she have just called him five minutes ago. Like the first one, he didn't answer.

"Excuse me," she called out to a bell boy, "is it okay if I leave my things here for a minute? I just need to get someone."

"Of course, ma'am," the guy answered politely, smiling as he did.

"Thanks." Gabriella walked towards the elevators impatiently. It was the same old Troy. Being late, he would probably make an excuse that she could've heard for the hundredth time. Ryan had never been late at anything. _Well, maybe once, but not this late,_ she reasoned further. _Too bad he doesn't really love you_, her mind taunted her. There was a mild stab in her heart. Maybe it was true. Ryan never loved her, and all he wanted was more fame for himself.

Troy was different. He loved her no matter what. Even if she doesn't have anything and most of the people seemed to hate her, he stuck by her. No guilt given and no regrets left for her. The only thing she had to learn is to be more patient.

She watched as the light from the elevator's button faded, then turn off. The elevator opposite hers opened and laughs emerged.

"So you're not getting back with her?" a girl asked. Gabriella inhaled sharply. The voice was familiar to her ears.

Another laugh. "No! You think I'm crazy?" It was Troy's voice. "I just wanted to separate them. Geek boy has to learn that he can't have it all. As for Nerdy Brat, I'm just putting her back in her place. The dumps." They laughed again. Gabriella's anger burned in her. "I can't let all of them be above me. I'm Troy Bolton. _The_ Troy Bolton. If I'm out of money, I make sure all of the others are broke."

Gabriella turned around to see them. As she was expecting, Heather was the one with Troy. She was the one giving the cold, high-pitched laughs. "You liar!" Gabriella yelled at Troy.

Troy's smile fell off his face, pushing Heather away slightly. "Gabs. Uh…A-I," he stuttered.

"I was never wrong to leave you," she said silently. The anger in her burned hotter every time she breathed. "You're still a monster."

Heather scoffed. "Other way around, honey," she said. "You're the obsessed, backstabber geek."

Gabriella lost control and punched Heather on the nose. The impact was strong enough that it sent Heather to the floor, her nose bleeding. "And you're the airhead cheerleader with a broken nose," Gabriella spat down at her.

"Gabriella!"

Gabriella threw Troy a scornful look. "You listen to me, Troy Bolton. Do this again, and I'll make sure you two end up in prison all of your lives."

"You can't do that!" Heather barked.

"I'm a backstabber. Remember?" Gabriella shot at her coldly. She started heading towards the exit.

Troy followed her. "Gabriella, it's not what you think it meant…"

_____________________

"You okay, Ry?" Sharpay asked. Most of them stood outside the hotel's exit, a little farther from the entrance. Surprisingly, there weren't any paparazzi waiting outside.

"Yeah," Ryan replied, his voice still streaked with sadness.

"Don't bum yourself too much, Evans," Chad said. Ryan turned towards him. "It could be worse."

"How so?"

"It could be five hours of air bumps and couch seats," Chad grinned at him. Ryan managed a soft chuckle before looking down.

"GET OFF ME!" yelled by someone who they perceived was Gabriella. All heads turned her way, including the group's. Ryan saw that Gabriella was trying to struggle free from Troy's grasp of her right arm.

"You don't have to yell," Troy told her calmly.

"Why? You're afraid people will hear how gigantic your ego is?!"

Chad turned to Sharpay and Ryan. "Funny how life works, huh?" he whispered, pertaining to the irony he thought. The cheater's now the one being cheated.

Troy grabbed both of Gabriella's arms, which made the latter wince. "I love you. That's the truth. Heather and me, we're done."

"Liar."

Troy's grip tightened, and it was evident to everyone. It alarmed the ones watching, especially Ryan, Chad, Zeke, and Jason. "I'm not. Gabriella…" Troy pleaded.

"You're hurting me," Gabriella said in a pained whisper. Ryan's heart tightened inside his chest for Gabriella. He wanted to help, but his mind told him not yet.

"I'm not." His grip tightened more.

Chad and Jason walked towards the two. "Hey, stop it. Let go of her," Chad commanded Troy.

"Don't get into this, Chad," Troy warned.

"We said," Jason warned more darkly, "let go of Gabriella."

"She belongs to me," Troy responded, increasing a level to his tight grip.

"Hurt someone who can fight back." With that, Chad tore one of Troy's hand off Gabriella. Together with Jason, they pinned Troy's hands on a wall with their arms and called for security.

Gabriella pulled the rest of her body away from Troy, then blindly ran towards the other end of the street. As she reached the middle of the road, a blaring horn woke her up. She turned around and saw a small truck dashing towards her. She froze.

Ryan saw what was about to happen, and he knew he couldn't just allow it. The whole world seemed to slow down. He thought about how he loved Gabriella. He waited for a long time for her, to finally notice him, and she did. He loved her with all of his heart, and he knew she also did. They were happy together. They were ready to be with each other forever, then the truth came out.

She cheated on him.

Ryan ran towards Gabriella.

Maybe she wasn't happy with him at all. Throughout the whole morning, that's what he thought. Maybe she wanted somebody else, needed somebody else. But will it be worth it if he saves her?

He thought of a life without Gabriella, if she died. He wasn't sure whether he would be happy with someone else. An insecurity from his past came back. _Will the world be happy if she died and I stayed?, _he asked himself. _No. No, it won't._ _The world would be better if Gabriella stayed…and I go._

The driver of the small truck became aware of Gabriella's presence at the street, and he tried to step on the break pedals. However, the speed previous the attempt was too great that even if he was burrowing the break pedals down, he knew she'd be hit.

Gabriella closed her eyes, took in a deep breath, then…

Ryan pushed her off the road, towards the safe side. He let the front of the truck collide with his own body, letting it smash the breath out of him.

Gabriella felt herself slam into a pavement. As she opened her eyes, she saw the truck on the street, immobile. Her heart collapsed in her as she saw, from where she was lying, a frail body lying motionless at the middle of the street. His blonde hair was slowly getting drenched with blood, making his hair appear like strands of precious strawberries. As much as she wanted to call out his name, the air she was breathing on choked her.

"Ryan, NO!" she heard Sharpay scream, horrified. Gabriella saw a blur of blonde hair hurrying towards the body. "Please, NO!" There was someone who held her back, hugging her away. "ZEKE, LET GO OF ME!!!"

"Somebody call an ambulance!" somebody yelled. "We have two people unconscious! Hurry!"

Gabriella, if not for the yell, noticed that her eyes were barely open. She struggled to reach out towards Ryan, maybe to touch his hands, but they're too far away. Slowly, the daylight dissolved from her sight.

Ryan could taste the dusts in his mouth. It was really salty, especially now that it was mingled with blood. He felt that the bones in his body must've been broken to thousands of pieces , but it didn't matter. As his vision grow dim, all he could think about was the fact that Gabriella was alive. If she died, then his life would not mean anything at all. Because she lived, then everything's perfectly fine.

All he wished was that someday, she would remember him. Even in just a blink of a second.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_**So, whatcha think? Let me know if you liked it, and I'll be whipping some Ryella drama for you! **_

**(If) ****Spoiler:**** Well, if I have enough reviews, then I'll write the continuation for this fic. So okay, next chapter, we'll be in a hospital setting. You'll also know whether Ryan lives or dies. The drama is also going to be soap opera drama next chapter! =D So you better get your tissue boxes ready! (Just kidding!)**

**A tout a l'heure!**


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